1
as in reasonable
based on sound reasoning or information
in a well-justified ruling the court voted unanimously to overturn the law
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
the use of force to capture the armed fugitive was fully justified
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in explained
to be an acceptable reason for
you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defended
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections
failed to justify the need for a war at this time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of justified
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Who can claim this jumble of junior-varsity field hockey teams, center-justified poetry, and polyester tux jackets as their intellectual property?
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Although his administration has described this action as a criminal arrest, and has justified it with an indictment for drug smuggling, this isn’t part of any consistent policy.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for justified
Adjective
If the current fiscal package is estimated to not only cover its costs but grow the economy too, the path is justified, argued Zandi.
—Verb
High up-front infrastructure costs and risks from political instability could be justified financially if oil prices were high enough.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for justified
Adjective
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That said, reasonable preparation can help even those familiar with international payment systems avoid high fees, long waits and general confusion.—
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That’s understandable and reasonable, and fans have every right to express their fandom through frustration when teams don’t live up to expectations.—
Adjective
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Jessie Buckley’s and Timothée Chalamet’s wins in the lead acting categories gave 25 points to Hamnet and Marty Supreme, respectively, while Amy Madigan’s surprising (but well deserved) win in Best Supporting Actress gave another 25 points to Weapons.—
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After some dynamic passing from Robertson and Bobby McMann, capped by a splendid finish from Roy, the Leafs’ new third line pushed the team to a deserved early lead.—
Verb
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In an interview with Interesting Engineering, UEL researcher Daehyun Kim explained that SCARABS focuses on exploration reliability rather than experimental payloads.—
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Night vision goggles worn by the pilot and hoist operator give a tube of vision, explained Atkins.—
Verb
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The New England Patriots defended home turf in the Wild Card Round, dominating the Los Angeles Chargers in a 16-3 victory to move on in the NFL Playoffs.—
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Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson defended the final-drive defense afterward.—
Adjective
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The ledger is the foundation of reasoned conclusion.—
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The differences between any given Grokipedia and Wikipedia entry are in some sense hard to debate because there is no shared ground upon which to have a reasoned disagreement; to gravitate toward Grokipedia is to leave the world of evidence for that of belief.—
Verb
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These bills send a clear message that political violence will never be excused, rewarded, or forgotten, and that our democracy is worth defending with action, not just words.—
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During voir dire, anyone who’s against capital punishment is excused from serving; the law demands that jurors remain amenable to all potential sentences.—
Verb
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Over the next decade, Wuornos grew increasingly religious and maintained correspondence with Australian artist Jasmine Hirst, whose letters and interviews appear throughout the documentary.—
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The Magic maintained a 59-51 lead at half, but Boston pulled even early in the third after Minott drew a foul on an aggressive crash, and Pritchard picked Bane’s pocket and canned a three.—
Adjective
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Harbaugh seemed like a logical candidate, but Miami’s hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager — and not longtime Harbaugh colleague Chad Alexander — makes that fit less obvious.—
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Because those employees are in turn often availing themselves of Medi-Cal, Elhawary said, lawmakers see a logical path to taxing their employers in order to support the healthcare system at large.—
Cite this Entry
“Justified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justified. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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